Endless track for vehicles



July 24,- 1928.

1,678,149 F. B. LAMB.v

ENDLEss TRACK For; VEHICLES Filed Feb. -1;-1924 4 sheets-sheet 1 July 24, 192s. 1,678,149

F. B. LAMB ENDLEss TRACK FOR VEHICLES Filed Feb.1, 1924l 4 shwrs-sheet 2 July 24, 1928.

F. B. LAMB ENDLESS TRACK FOR VEHICLES 4 sneaks-sheet 3 Filed Feb. l, 1924 dll..

July 24, 1928. v 1,678,149

F. B. LAMB ENDLESS TRACK FOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. l, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 24, 19.28.;A

UNIT-Enf STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BRIDDON LAMB, `l? LONDON, EN'GIJAND,` ASSIGNOR TO ROADLESS TRAC- TION, LIMITED, 0E HOUNSLOW, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

nNDLnss TRACK ron` VEHICLES.

Application led February 1, 1924, Serial No. 690,057, and in Great Britain February 5, 1523.

' 5 longitudinal axis adapted to form paths upon which the rollers supporting the weight of the vehicle run and are secured together by links forming central connections which permit of universal movement or movement about two axes, or the track shoes may be combined with bands or belts to 'torni paths.

The links and shoes' may be formed separately and jointed together or the shoes and 1 links may be formed in one piece.

tracks made in accordance with tion. l

Figure -1 is a plan and Figure 2 a central longitudinal section of a shoe'. Figure 3 is ,20 an end View of a shoe showing the link in section. Figure 4 is'ay side view of atrack passing around the sprocket wheel. Figures 5 and- 6, 7y andS. an-d 7- and 8l show three l arrangements of lugsfor limiting the movethe surfaces on each side of the track shoes which form paths for the rollers. Figure 13 is a side elevation partly in section, Figure 14 is a transverse section and Figure 15 a plan of an` alternative formof link which at the same time shows the form of band forminga'patli for .the rollers.v Figures 16, 17 and 18 are Sections of the weight carrying rollers running on the track and provided with flanges. Figure 19 isa' section of one `form of link.v Figure 20 .is an alternative form of link having selt-alining ball bearings. Figure21 is a planand Figure 22 a transverse section showing tracks having shoes of smaller size intermediate the other shoes. Figure. 23 is a plan andV Figure 24 aside elevation of a trackin Vwhich the driv.- ing teeth act as stops lix'riiting.themottmofl the shoes..

the vtrack .is driven are' made in one piece with the link. The turning movement of the shoesV 10 islimitedl by' lugs 101 on one` link The .accompanying .drawings illustrate this l'nven yment of the shoes. Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 Q .show diagrammatically diHerent forms ofk .different forms.

Referring more especially Ito'v Figuresl', 2511 3 and 4, 10 are trackshoesconneetedby bolts..

l to links 11, the two parts-of whe'hare connected together by pins 12,. the joints of 3; the links being lubricated through passages *l closed by screws 110. The teeth13 by which engaging with lugs 102011 the adjacent link as shown 1n Figures 5 and 6. Alternatively there may be two lugs 101'and 103 on one Alink and two lugs' 102 and 104 on the adja- The parts 105 and 106 of the shoes10 on each side of the links form paths for the weight carrying wheels and the various shapes which these may take are shown in Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12.

The paths uponwhich the weight carrying rollers run may consist of belts 14 as is more particularly shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15.

On the outer surface of these' belts are'pads which form treads as hereinafter described. f v

In order to control the lateral movement of the weight carrying rollers 15 they are provided with two side flanges which engage with the edges of the surfaces 105 and 106 as shown in Figure 16, in'which ease y one series of rollers 15 is employed and in which the surfaces 105 and' 106 are raised above the level of the joint pin 12. In Figures 17 and18, two series of rollers 15 are employed. In Figure 17 the iianges` Figure 18 on the outside of the rollers. The links connecting the shoes may be of The links shown in Figures 3 and 16 comprise a split housing 16v adapted to receive a bush 17 in which is a holeto receivethe pin12 which passes through the jaws 18,'of 4the adjacent link. A The outer -surface of the bush 17 is artly spherical as shown, andrtheiinner sur ace of the housing by' spring rings V20 .as seen in Figure 3.

.'llhe -bush 16 may,7 be'prevented from turn.- ingfbyafpign `l :1s-Shown in Figure 2.

Another form-ofjoint is shown in Figure 19,* in 'which' the link-11 is formed in two pieceslll and 112 and on each piece is a portion of a spherical surface which bears exsl 4150 are onthe inside of the rollers andvin .gy-16 is spherical and bearsupon the sphericalv portion of thebush 17. The housingv isvv sealed byleatherirings 19 secured in position,

Iconsists of a bar 26 having at its ends spherical surfaces 260. The spherical surfaces-at the ends of adjacent bars are connected together by a housing 27 whose inner surface is spherical. Sleeves are mounted upon the outer surface of the housings 27, the sleeves beingformed in two parts 28 and 29connected together by studs 290 and thel parts 28 are connected by means of arms 30 extending on each side of the longitudinal side of the track, which arms fit into slots in the belt 14 and are retained in them by projections 291 on the part 29. Intermediate the slots in the belt above mentionedu are other slots 141 which allow of the bending of the belt about the centre of the joint. v.

Referring to Figures 21 and 22, the lower part 28 of the housing maybe made integral with a shoe 30 intermediate and smaller than I the other shoes; the shoe 30'has lugs 300 which engage with lugs on the other shoes. In Figures 23 and 24- driving teeth 31 are formed at the edges of the shoes 10, which v driving teeth also form lugs engaging with other lugs 32 to limit the motion of the shoes. In this case any suitable form of connection between the links may'be' employed such as that shown in Figures 3, 16, 19 or 20.

What I claim is 1. In endless -tracks which comprise a plurality of track shoes having surfaces on each side of the central longitudinal axis, a central connection between adjacent shoes which permits universal movement, and coacting means carried -bythe shoes at their outer edges for limiting the movement thereof about their central longitudinal axes.

2. A construction as recited inclaim 1 in.

which the means for limiting the movement of the shoes comprises coacting lugs formed onv the track shoes. v v 3. f In endless tracks which comprise a plurality of track shoes'having surfaces on each side of their central longitudinal axis, a central connection between adjacent shoes which permits movement about `two axes, and means carried by the shoes at theirI outer edges for limiting the movement thereofabout their central longitudinal axes which means consists 'of (so-acting lugs that also -serve as engagement' with a. driving" teeth for sprocket. l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Ifhave signed, my name 'this 7th day of January, 1924.l

FREDERICK BRIDDONl LAMB. 

